It is becoming increasingly time consuming and expensive to repair even minor damage to the exterior body of automotive vehicles. As a result, both manufacturers and consumers are interested in protecting automotive vehicles from all types of such damage. This includes even minor dents or abrasions to the edges of vehicle doors, hoods, or trunks which can occur during shipment or day to day use of the vehicles.
A variety of devices have been developed for permanent installation on the edge of vehicle doors or the like. These devices generally comprise a deformable metal carrier coated with rubber or plastic materials as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,807 to Adell. These devices generally have a U-shaped cross section for receiving the edge of the vehicle door. The metal carrier is generally deformed so that the device resiliently grips the edge of the vehicle door.
These prior art devices are generally designed with metal carriers so that they may be permanently affixed to the edge of the vehicle door. They are designed for permanent installation because they are generally used as decorative trim or for installation of weather stripping around the edge of the vehicle door as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,081 to Pullan and U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,549 to Bright et al. Once installed, these devices are difficult to remove without marring the edge of the vehicle door. Moreover, when used as decorative trim or for installation of weather stripping, these devices generally must be of sufficient length to cover the entire edge of the vehicle door.
The prior art devices are often produced by a method wherein a rubber or plastic material is extruded upon the surface of a metal carrier as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,807 to Adell. This method, however, requires the additional step of pre-forming a deformable metal carrier to maintain the desired shape of the device as well as allow the device to adequately grip the edge of the vehicle door or the like. The metal carrier necessary in the methods for producing these prior art devices is primarily responsible for the marring of the edge of the vehicle door or the like.
The ideal edge protector for a vehicle door or the like is one that provides maximum protection at strategic locations. The ideal edge protector for a vehicle door or the like also overcomes the problems associated with metal carriers. It is capable of being temporarily installed and removed without marring the edge of the vehicle door.
The ideal method for producing the ideal edge protector eliminates the step of pre-forming a deformable metal carrier by utilizing self-supporting polymeric materials. The ideal method also eliminates the step of pre-forming a deformable metal carrier by utilizing a series of vacuum sizing plates and temperature control.